%A Lee SJ %A Kim W %A Jun JB %A Chung SL %A Kim JC %T Lipid composition of the stratum corneum of the sole in patients with leprosy %0 Journal Article %D 1994 %J International Journal of Leprosy and other Mycobacterial Diseases %P 0148-916X %V 62 %N 4 %X Several reports support the view that changes of composition of the stratum corneum (SC) lipids may be the cause of impaired barrier function which, in turn, gives rise to xerosis and ichthyotic skin in leprosy. Many reports about abnormalities of serum lipids and cutaneous manifestations, such as xerosis and ichthyotic changes in leprosy, led us to the idea that the composition of SC lipids in patients with leprosy may be different f rom that in normal subjects. However, the many studies done in the past do not sufficiently account for this. To investigate the composition of SC lipids in patients with leprosy, thin-layer chromatography (TLC) was undertaken. Extraction of the SC lipids with a methanolchloroform-H20 mixture (4:2:1.6, v/v/v, Bligh-Dyer solvent) was carried out after shaving of the SC f rom the sole. TLC was performed and the composition of lipids was quantitated by photodensitometry. Our study revealed that the composition of SC lipids in the anesthetic lesions of leprosy patients was higher in cholesterol sulfate and triglycerides and lower in sphingolipids and cholesterol esters than that of normal subjects.